Written by Richard Kilpatrick Published: 18 January 2023 Updated: 19 January 2023

Overview

Ford refreshed its fantastic Fiesta ST hot hatch in line with the rest of the Ford Fiesta range in September 2021, giving it a new look without losing the fast Ford’s finely-honed responses. Wearing the enlarged grille and slightly flattened profile of the Fiesta Mk8.5, the ST stands out thanks to unique styling and a sporty bodykit. You won’t miss the eye-catching new Mean Green finish introduced for this generation, either.

Not all the changes are cosmetic. There’s a modest increase in torque (pulling power) as well, and the only spec available is the fully-loaded ST-3, which includes the Performance Pack.

However, time’s up for the Ford Fiesta. It’s due to be discontinued in June 2023, and the choice of models is slowly being reduced. Hot hatch traditionalists may be surprised to discover the ST is no longer available as a three-door.

While it’s just as much fun to drive with five, the lack of lower-spec models means this ‘cheap, fast car’ is closer to £30,000 than £20,000.

Of more relevance, it means it’s more expensive than the cheapest Hyundai i20 N – the closest rival to the Ford Fiesta ST facelift in terms of outright excitement. It’s also more than a basic three- or five-door Mini Cooper S, and almost as much as the latest Volkswagen Polo GTI.

Fair to say, however, that we still think this dinky fast Ford is worth the cost.

What’s it like inside?

As with modern Fiestas, the ST offers lots of technology in an interior that is nicely put together and reasonably spacious up front for such a small car.

The unavoidable rear doors mean better access to the back seats – and though that doesn’t magically create any more rear legroom or headroom for taller occupants it should at least make it easier to live with.

Boot space is a relatively modest 311 litres with the rear seats in place, rising to 1,093 litres with them folded. You do have to make do without a spare wheel to even get that much luggage room, though.

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Of more interest to most hot hatch buyers will probably be the useful 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which combines nicely with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster standard on ST-3 spec cars. The animations when you switch between driving modes are perhaps a bit much, but at least you get a sense of occasion whenever you turn the car on.

There’s also a wireless charging pad for your phone, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a reversing camera, and active Matrix LED headlights. Ford’s Sync 3 navigation, and the pleasing B&O sound system, are optional.

Sportier Fiesta ST-specific features include a smart flat-bottomed steering wheel, attractive red detailing and some less appealing fake carbonfibre. There are also Ford Performance logos in various places, including on the sill plates and the front seats.

Comfort

The seats are worth a further mention, in fact, as this time around Ford has opted to use its own Ford Performance design across the range in place of the highly sculpted bucket seats fitted to pre-facelift Fiesta ST models.

With multi-way adjustment, the new seats offer almost all the same support but are much wider in the base – which should make them more comfortable for more people. Some colleagues complained of being perched on top of the previous design, rather than snug within it. This does mean that those of slimmer build may find themselves less securely held during the kind of extreme cornering antics the ST is capable of serving up, however.

As small performance cars go, the Fiesta is relatively refined – the engine isn’t overly loud and although there is some wind and road noise, it’s not super tiresome. Or maybe we just didn’t notice because of the ride (more on that in a moment).

Safety

This generation of Ford Fiesta – the Mk8 – received a five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating in 2017. The facelift shouldn’t dramatically alter this achievement, but the Euro NCAP testing regime has got tougher since then.

The ST is the fastest Fiesta, but it also comes with a lot of standard safety kit, as well as superb dynamics and powerful brakes – which might just get you out of trouble in the first place.

Highlight features include multi-stage electronic stability control, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assistance, distance alert and a new feature called wrong way alert, intended to prevent you driving the wrong way down a motorway slip road.

What’s it like to drive?

The Fiesta ST is a firecracker. While there are just three cylinders under the bonnet, the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine produces an impressive 200hp, and for the facelifted version torque has been increased from 290Nm to 320Nm. So although 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds isn’t scorchingly quick these days and we’ve become so used to the instant thrust of electric cars, the ST offers plenty of drama – whether you’re accelerating from a standstill or punching down a couple of gears to overtake slower traffic.

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But the real genius of the Fiesta ST is just how well it handles corners. There’s nothing new about this for the facelift, but driving the latest model is a timely reminder. When travelling at speed, the suspension does a remarkable job of floating over bad surfaces and absorbing mid-corner bumps, while the balance and poise delivered by the chassis pulls off a superbly blended combo of highly tenacious front-wheel drive traction with a playful rear axle.

This allows you to dart into corners aggressively, then use the throttle to adjust the car’s attitude – all safely within the Fiesta’s healthy limits. ST-3 models like this one are helped by having a Performance Pack fitted as standard, which includes a mechanical limited-slip differential for even greater front-end bite and increased poor-weather grippiness.

Perhaps most fundamentally, it’s just fast enough to be daft without becoming outrageous, and it never feels as if it’s going to catch you out. Rather, it seems to be enjoying itself as much as you are. If you like driving at all, you will love the Fiesta ST when you’re in a hurry.

The downside to all this entertainment is a very firm ride, exacerbated by the 18-inch wheels fitted to ST-3 variants. You don’t notice this so much when you’re indulging yourself, but pootling along at medium speeds it can become a pain in the bottom, verging on actually embarrassing if you have unenthusiastic passengers. We’d also note the six-speed manual gearbox could be a little sweeter.

What models and trims are available?

Unlike the previous generation, the Ford Fiesta ST Mk8.5 is available in just one specification – ST-3 – and only as a five-door. It has a comprehensive array of kit, and the only options are metallic paint, upgraded infotainment (adding sat-nav, or sat-nav plus B&O speakers) and the winter pack of heated seats and steering wheel.

Unusually Ford is yet to offer a final edition, but such things are usually produced to boost sales – and the Fiesta ST doesn’t need help finding buyers.

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What else should I know?

The Fiesta ST has a couple of tricks tucked up in its… wheelarches.

Beyond the fairly obvious selection of driving modes – with includes a Track setting alongside Normal and Sport instead of the Eco mode you get in regular Fiestas – the Performance Pack adds electronic launch control for the best possible standing starts.

More sensibly, the engine has cylinder deactivation technology, which means it can stop using one combustion chamber when you’re cruising as a means of saving fuel. You’ll near to be pretty saintly to get anywhere near the claimed 41.5mpg, though.

Click through to our Ford Fiesta ST verdict to find out how we rate this car, and what it’s like to live with in our long-term test.